Whitening of teeth is commonly practiced by chemical treatment of teeth to remove stains (i.e., chromogens) from the teeth. Most chemical treatments make use of bleaching agents, such as hydrogen peroxide, carbamide peroxide, sodium perborate, sodium chlorite, and the like. The chemical treatment is often accompanied by use of abrasive agents, which help desorb or prevent stain adsorption.
However, such stain-removing chemicals possess several drawbacks, such as increased potential for transient teeth whitening-induced sensitivity, increased potential for transient gingival irritation, and the need for repeated or prolonged administration onto teeth to achieve a desired level of teeth whitening. Furthermore, chemical treatment is often ineffective for certain types of dental stains.
Porcelain (ceramic) dental veneers have been used in the art to cover stained teeth to hide dental stains. They provide a non-porous, glazed surface which increases the brilliance of teeth. Though ceramic veneers provide an alternative to the chemical stain removal processes described above, they have the significant drawback of typically having to be custom-designed and custom-fitted for each tooth receiving a veneer. This makes porcelain veneers particularly costly. In addition, the application process typically required a reductive shaping of the teeth to accommodate the porcelain veneers. The reductive shaping of the teeth permanently alters the teeth. Moreover, porcelain veneers are known to be thin and brittle, and are, therefore, well known for being easily damaged during use. For these reasons, porcelain veneers are typically recommended for more severe cases of discolored or unsightly teeth, while chemical teeth-whitening is recommended for the more ordinary and usual discoloration of teeth.
There remains a need in the art for a tooth-whitening process which does not require chemical removal of stains and which mitigates or eliminates the drawbacks of porcelain veneers. There is a particular need in the art for such a tooth-whitening composition that can be applied onto teeth in a cost-effective and facile manner. There would be a particular advantage in a tooth-whitening composition that can be readily applied to teeth without requiring custom-fitting or a reductive processing step, and which is not brittle. Such a composition and method of use can make non-chemical whitening alternatives more mainstream and available to the general public.